Recycling ships in safe and environmentally sound way: Commission updates list of European ship recycling facilities
The Commission has today published the 7th edition of the European List of Ship Recycling Facilities, adding several new yards to the List. These notably include two European yards (one each in Denmark and Norway), and two more yards in Turkey. Ship-owners of EU-flagged vessels will now have a wider range of choices to get their vessels dismantled in the future. With the new update, 43 yards are now listed, including 34 yards in Europe, 8 yards in Turkey and 1 yard in the U.S. Several yards on the European List are also capable of recycling large vessels. European ship owners own 35% of the world fleet. Since 31 December 2018, the EU Ship Recycling Regulation requires all large sea-going vessels sailing under an EU Member State flag to use an approved ship recycling facility included in the European List. With the adoption of the updated List, the European Commission has taken an important step to help ensure that ships are recycled in facilities that are safe for workers and environmentally sound. The register is regularly updated to add further compliant facilities or to remove facilities which have ceased to comply. To be included, any ship recycling facility, irrespective of its location, has to comply with a number of safety and environmental requirements. For facilities located in the EU, it is for the competent national authorities in the Member States concerned to check that all the relevant conditions are met, and to then inform the Commission that the facility in question should be listed. Ship recycling facilities located in third countries and intending to recycle ships flying a flag of a Member State have to apply to the Commission to be included in the European List. More information is available here.
